tuphlos describes people without sight and, in rebukes and self-descriptions, people portrayed as lacking perception.

The term most often identifies persons whose sight is absent or impaired, especially those brought for healing or described as receiving sight. A smaller group of clauses uses it figuratively for people portrayed as unable to perceive rightly, including guides, religious opponents, and a self-satisfied community.

1. Without physical sight · dominant

   The adjective identifies people whose inability to see is explicit in the surrounding clause: in John 9:1 the APB renders a man as "blind from birth," and in John 9:25 contrasts his former condition with "now I see." In Mark 8:23 the genitive singular form occurs when a man is led by the hand and questioned about seeing, while Acts 13:11 joins the condition to being unable to see the sun.

   John 9:1John 9:25Mark 8:23Acts 13:11Luke 7:22Matthew 21:14
2. Figurative lack of perception or sound guidance · common

   In Matthew 15:14, nominative forms describe both guides and those they lead, with both falling into a pit; the clause presents the term as a figure for failed guidance rather than a healing condition. Matthew 23:16 and Matthew 23:26 use vocative forms in rebukes, while Revelation 3:17 applies it alongside being "wretched and pitiful and poor" to people who do not know their actual condition.

   Matthew 15:14Matthew 23:16Matthew 23:26John 9:39Romans 2:19Revelation 3:17

In the Anselm Project Bible: Across the physical-sight passages, the APB commonly uses "blind," "blind man," and "blind men," and it places the term in clauses about seeing or receiving sight. In rebukes and figurative statements it also uses "blind,".